The surgery

OK, Paul was scheduled for some minor surgery today to remove a cyst on his head that had been growing.

He was getting ready to go in, with his IV in and little hair-protection cap on, when the anesthesiologist came in to talk to him. He wanted to ask for more details regarding his heart issues.

During this exchange, the goofball lets it be known that he's been having chest pains sporadically, including some last night.

He said he didn't tell me because he didn't want me freaking out. Considering how little I freak out about things, that should have been an indication that he should have told me. Dr. Kathleen isn't my nickname for nothing.

Anyway, they canceled the surgery, pending an cardiology evaluation, and I was just as glad.

A message?

I got a solicitation to give money to Planned Parenthood the other day. That had never happened before, so it was sort of strange. I said to Paul, "What's up with this?"

"Maybe they think we need it," he said.

Pregnancy brain

In the last month, I have 1) locked my keys in my car, 2) misplaced my keys many times, 3) forgot to pick the 15-year-old up from church and, now, 4) managed to misplace my cellphone. I know it's in the house somewhere, as I remember taking it with me on one of my walks with Paul. It, of course, has run out of charge, so I cannot call it in order to find it. I know it will turn up. It's a matter of when.

I've always been a little bit absent-minded about objects, but nothing like this.

A different kind of change

There's something about being pregnant that makes me feel -- literally -- so much younger. It's not the feeling of psychological, immature youth I had a taste of when I first lost weight. There's actually something physical going on, something that has to be hormone related. Or something.

I have to wash my hair more frequently. Makeup falls off my face, as it used to do when I was young. I haven't swelled up much at all, but my skin feels moister.

This pregnancy, too, has been different because I am all belly, which is unusual. In the past, I have gotten big all over. Now, I still have clavicles and, as my hairdresser says, my face hasn't changed.

Turquoise hair

My 13-year-old got braces about a month ago. Dentists and orthos had been talking about how she needed them for years, but I'm not convinced about the need for early orthodontia. What was prescribed for treatment when she was 8 would've taken at least five years of treatment and cost well over $10,000. Maybe as much as $20,000. Now that she's 13, they're saying she doesn't need much at all and that it will take only a year. Plus, we have better insurance now -- and half of the treatment costs are covered -- and we'll end up paying less than $2,000. I think she grew into her teeth better than people expected.

So, she has braces, and her braces have turquoise bands.

She decided she wanted matching hair, so we got her some Manic Panic hair dye. Fortunately, her hair is light enough that we didn't need to bleach it first.